Roland Larabie – Rolly to most – returns to West Nipissing council, appointed to represent Ward 6 after Anne Tessier announcer her resignation in early August. It’s a role Larabie knows well, having served Ward 6 for two terms prior. He ran as an incumbent in the October 2022 election, but Anne Tessier received 93 more votes.
Nobody who ran from the 2018-2022 council was re-elected.
See: Clean slate for West Nipissing council
Larabie ran for the position unopposed. There was one other contender who notified the Clerk they were dropping out before the deadline.
“I look forward to working with each and every one of you,” explained Larabie, “you look like a dynamic team, and I’d like to be part of it.”
To become councillor after a vacancy is declared, residents submit a letter of intent to the clerk, and all candidates must speak before council. Councillors then vote on their choices and appoint the winner to the vacant council seat.
He mentioned he has been impressed with the work council has accomplished so far. Starting the term with a term plan “tells me you started with a vision of what you would like West Nipissing to be.”
He also thanked Anne Tessier, “for her work on this council,” and detailed how he looks forward to helping create council’s upcoming Asset Management Plan, long term planning strategies, the Fire Marshall Plan and road studies.
Larabie explained that for most of his working days, he ran a restaurant, and now retired, he remains very active in the community. He was a volunteer fire-fighter and helped with search and rescues, he’s on the board of his parish, a fourth-degree Knights of Columbus member, and is an executive member of the Golden Age Club. He also served on the board of the health centre in Sturgeon Falls and was part of the River Valley Waste Management from the early 1990s to this year.
He detailed some of his previous council highlights, such as working to replace the River Valley bridge, and the rehabilitation of Highway 539 A, “which is being done as we speak.” He also worked to increase the number of streetlights “and advocated for real pavement” for his ward’s highways, instead of the usual “chip and tar, which is not a good solution because of the heavy traffic.”
Larabie also noted he helped implement “an effective waste management system that helped save the municipality $1.4 million from 1999 up to 2022.” He also advocated to improve the ice rink in River Valley, “and we had it done to a higher standard.”
“I’m eager to get back to work, to look after the community’s interests, and to collaborate with other members of this council,” Larabie said.
Mayor Kathleen Thorne Rochon commented, “Each ward is once again represented. We look forward to working alongside Mr. Larabie. His significant involvement within the Ward 6 community and his experience on Council will undoubtedly help us tackle the challenges ahead and drive our community forward in a positive way.”
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
